Many people envy teachers in Hong Kong because they have many holidays, especially the long summer holiday beginning in mid-July. In effect, they receive salaries of twelve months while working for roughly only nine months! Their working environment is rather stable though in recent years, quite a number of educational reforms have been initiated by ambitious politicians. Teachers proved to be the greatest resistance to these reforms. It is more difficult to teach these teachers new tricks than German Shepherds. They are worse students than the students entrusted in their hands. Whether it be ancient times or modern times, teachers have been at the receiving end of torrents of complaints. Even Confucians criticized teachers. 養不教，父之過；教不嚴，師之惰。【三字經】Woe to us teachers! Even the Model Teacher of Ten-Thousand Æons criticized us, instead of supporting us.
I cannot remember since when I have begun a strange ritual. In the morning assemblies, when students forgot to bring their prayer books, we used to send them to a separate line for the prefects to jot down their names. Recently, instead of sending them away, I hit my own forehead with my prayer book several times in their face. Sometimes, I lent them my copy of prayer book. I cannot explain my behaviour. Probably it is a way for me to vent my frustration. Students couldn't care less my being upset.
In view of the H1N1 pandemic, students are required to record their body temperature on a card before they go to school. They have to show the card to the teachers/prefects on duty at the school main-gate.
The other day, I saw a student, probably an S1 student, take the short-cut. Before he entered the school, he took out his body temperature record card and wrote down a number. If he had taken his body temperature before he left home, he would have had it written down already. So, what have we teachers taught our students? What kind of students are we moulding for the society?
Of course, I cannot deny the satisfaction we teachers gain when we see our students becoming professionals contributing to the society. But such satisfaction only goes to a lucky few. Not all teachers have the luck to teach public examination classes. Many are working quietly and thanklessly throughout the years without any recognition. If you teach in a lower-banding school, your achievement might be a baby-sitter or even worse.
Sorry, I have probably gone too far. But my faith in our young people remains. Though homes and schools have over-provided for our youngsters for too long, I am confident that they will learn and transform when they work in the society in the future.
Return to the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. In a sense, Paul was also a great teacher for all the churches he had established. He appointed bishops to oversee them. He sent his co-workers to visit, inspect and encourage them. Of course, he wrote them epistles to advise them. In the chapter we are reading today, we see that Paul was frustrated because many of his "students" were attracted by boastful and more eloquent preachers.
For they say, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account." (2 Corinthians 10:10)
We have not had the grace to hear Paul's sermons or his arguments with the Jews. There are only epistles which can be deceptively strong because an author can polish his work until he is satisfied. However, in a speech or an argument, what is uttered cannot be retracted or embellished anymore. A Chinese idiom says 「一言既出，駟馬難追。」 When a word is uttered, it is hard even for a four-horse chariot to chase.
From the verse quoted above, we might deduce what Paul's contemporaries thought about him. Paul was not strongly built. He probably was not a fluent speaker. No doubt, his strength lies in his epistles.
Paul despised boastful people but there were too many around. So, he played along their line like Mencius did 予豈好辯哉？予不得已也。【孟子‧滕文公下】 Do I enjoy arguing? I have no choice!
To fight against boastful people, Paul boasted with them.
I repeat, let no one think me foolish; but even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little (2 Corinthians 10:16).
Yet, Paul boasted of his weaknesses and his sufferings for Christ.
To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever any one dares to boast of -- I am speaking as a fool -- I also dare to boast of that.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one -- I am talking like a madman -- with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.
Five times I have received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
Three times I have been beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been adrift at sea;
on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brethren;
in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness (2 Corinthians 10:21-30).
What a magnificent CV!
Therefore, pardon me for hitting my own forehead with my prayer book. It is nowhere near death and I know that I still have a long way to go.
Dear Lord, I thank the saints who prod us along. May their soft talks as well as sharp tongues carry me through. Amen.
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